Botvinnik last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Botvinnik is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Botvinnik.

Meaning of Botvinnik

A surname likely of Slavic origin, possibly derived from the word "botvin" meaning beet leaves or beetroot greens.

Botvinnik, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Botvinnik surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Botvinnik in America

Botvinnik is the 151532nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Botvinnik surname appeared 108 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Botvinnik.

The history of the last name Botvinnik

The surname Botvinnik originated in Russia, with its roots traced back to the 17th century. It is believed to be derived from the Russian word "botvinya," which refers to a type of cold soup made from beet leaves and kvass (a fermented beverage).

The earliest known record of the name Botvinnik can be found in the Vologda region of Northern Russia, where it was commonly associated with peasant families engaged in agriculture and food production. The name's connection to the beetroot-based soup suggests that the Botvinnik family may have been involved in the cultivation and preparation of this traditional dish.

One of the earliest documented references to the surname Botvinnik comes from a church record dated 1692, which mentions a certain Ivan Botvinnik who resided in the village of Verkhovye, near the city of Vologda.

In the late 18th century, the Botvinnik name gained some prominence when Mikhail Botvinnik (1738-1812), a merchant from the town of Veliky Ustyug, established a successful trading company that dealt with the export of furs and timber.

The 19th century saw the rise of Mikhail Botvinnik (1816-1887), a prominent Russian mathematician and academic who made significant contributions to the field of number theory. He served as a professor at the prestigious St. Petersburg University.

Another notable figure with the surname Botvinnik was Yuri Botvinnik (1879-1941), a Russian revolutionary and Bolshevik politician who played an active role in the Russian Civil War and later held important positions in the Soviet government.

Perhaps the most famous bearer of the Botvinnik name was Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik (1911-1995), the Soviet chess grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players of the 20th century and made numerous contributions to the development of chess theory and strategy.

Throughout its history, the surname Botvinnik has been associated with various professions, from peasants and merchants to academics and political figures, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Botvinnik

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Botvinnik.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Botvinnik was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 100.00% 108
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 0.00% 0

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Botvinnik was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Botvinnik, please contact us.

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